Many small business owners don’t realize the power and importance of a Call to Action. Something like 80% of the websites out there don’t have one. These websites do not get the results their owners hope for.
Here’s the reason. A call to action does two important things. First, it tells your website visitor what you want them to do. You would think that is obvious, but it is not. Second, it activates the need for a decision. In both cases, it works with how the human mind works.
I call it the “Pass the Potatoes Dynamic.”
It’s Thanksgiving dinner. Your family is gathered around the table. You want more potatoes, but you just sit there. As result, they stay at the other end of the table in front of Aunt Susie who is busy giving Uncle Harry a hard time. But if you simply say, “Aunt Susie, would you please pass the potatoes.” Aunt Susie looks up and gladly decides to what you ask.
ASKING triggers the need for a yes/no decision that wasn’t present before you asked.
A call to action brings your customers to the point of decision. If they are ready to buy, it tells them what to do.
You Need a Call to Action Because You must ASK for the sale.
If you want your website to turn visitors into customers, you must do something 80% of websites out there don’t do. You must have a “Call to Action.”
Not only must you ask, you must keep on asking. WHY? Because there are TWO kinds of people who visit your website.
- Some of the people who visit your website are ready to buy. If you ask them to, they will.
- Other people are interested or they wouldn’t be there at all, but they are not ready to buy YET.
Most websites that do have a call to action only address the person who is ready to buy now. What about your readers who are not ready to buy? This is where businesses forfeit tons of new business … thousands … even millions of dollars… What if you could keep in touch with those people in a way that gains their trust and eventually turns them into customer also. You Can.
You Need Two Types of Call to Action
First, The “Direct” Call to Action. The “Direct” CALL TO ACTION speaks to the person who is ready to buy. You just need to challenge them to take action. So you say, “Buy Now” “Call Now” “Let’s Talk” “Let’s Get Started”
Second, The “Transitional” Call to Action. The transitional call to action is for the person who is interested but not ready to buy…yet. You must nurture their interest, keep their attention and gain their trust. Over time you hope to transition this person from an interested person to a loyal customer.
How does the transitional call to action work?
- First, you offer a valuable piece of information. You offer a free download of some sort. Something the average person in your target audience would find almost irresistible.
- In order for them to gain access to this information you ask them please for their email address. If they are interested enough in what you offer, they will give you their email address.
- Then two things happen. 1) They gain access to the information. 2) Their email drops into your nurturing, trust-building system. (You may hear this referred to a sales funnel.)
- For some people, that’s all it takes. They look over the helpful information you have given them and they become your customer. But that is not all. You have an automated follow up system in place that sends a sequence of helpful, trust building, motivating emails to these people who need a little more nurturing.
- Over time an additional percentage of these people who visited your website and left without buying now become your customers. Once the system is set up it costs almost nothing to operate. Done right, it will pay for itself over and over.
This strategy works well for businesses in almost any industry.
